Yes, Luke Wang and Alicia Wang will be performing in a piano recital at Richter House in Danbury on Sunday, May 5. No, they are not related, unless you connect them by six degrees of separation, perhaps finding the point of intersection somewhere in China. Much closer to Danbury, what Luke and Alicia do have in common is their piano instructor, Edith Sullivan.

I met the three at Richter House, where they were rehearsing for their upcoming recital. As I entered, I could hear Alicia playing her variations on "Satin Doll," an old jazz standard by Duke Ellington. I asked if she was nervous, trying to get the butterflies in her stomach to fly in formation, and she said "a little, but it should be a fine experience. Music actually helps me relax." Luke said, "Music is a universal language, another form of communication that everyone can appreciate and enjoy."

Sullivan said the program will have Luke and Alicia in alternating solos. She said, "Luke is my Chopin boy. Give him any Chopin and he will be eloquent, playing it with sensitivity and expressiveness. But he has really gotten into the Prokofiev, with its dissonance."

Luke is 13 and Alicia is 15, but they already have achieved impressive accomplishments, awards and honors. Sullivan is looking forward to both talented pianists putting their best foot (and all fingers) forward, giving the community a wonderful opportunity to hear them. Many of her students have progressed quite well in their musical development under her guidance, and she seems particularly excited about Luke and Alicia.

Luke lives in Ridgefield, where he's in the eighth grade at Scotts Ridge Middle School; he started playing piano when he was 6. Although he's not exactly sure how music will figure into his long-term plans, Luke certainly fits it in every chance he gets. Along with the piano, he's a swimming champ and spends a lot of time in the pool, staying in competitive shape for the Junior Olympics, for which he's already qualified.

More Information

If you goPianists Luke Wang and Alicia Wang will perform in Danbury on Sunday, May 5.The 3 p.m. recital will be at Richter House, 100 Aunt Hack Road. Admission is free.For more information, call 203-798-2245 or visit www.danbury.org/richter.

Alicia has branched out with her wide range of musical tastes, going from the classics to classic rock from the likes of Stevie Wonder and the Beatles. Aside from piano, she plays alto sax and is interested in travel.

"I'd like to take a road trip to San Francisco and play in a jazz band," she said.

In addition, she wishes she had more time for some jam sessions with friends from the Taft School in Watertown, where she also runs track and plays soccer.

For both musicians, practice is something that occupies whatever opportunities they get. Sullivan said staying focused on other interests will be helpful with whatever future choices they make, but "music will always be important to them, regardless of their career paths."

The free 3 p.m. program will feature about a dozen challenging pieces by Bach, Chopin, Ravel, Prokofiev and Moszkowski. Sullivan stressed the importance and difficulty of mastering the baroque preludes and fugues as stepping stones to other composers and styles. "I like my students to cut their teeth on J.S. Bach," she said.